13-the little good mouse-第2章

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At　last　one　day　when　the　basket　was　finished；　the　Queen　was　looking

out　of　the　window　to　see　how　long　a　cord　she　must　make　to

lower　it　to　the　bottom　of　the　tower；　when　she　noticed　a　little　old

woman　who　was　leaning　upon　her　stick　and　looking　up　at　her。

Presently　she　said：



‘I　know　your　trouble；　madam。　If　you　like　I　will　help　you。'



‘Oh！　my　dear　friend；'　said　the　Queen。　‘If　you　really　wish　to

be　of　use　to　me　you　will　come　at　the　time　that　I　will　appoint；　and

I　will　let　down　my　poor　little　baby　in　a　basket。　If　you　will　take

her；　and　bring　her　up　for　me；　when　I　am　rich　I　will　reward　you

splendidly。'



‘I　don't　care　about　the　reward；'　said　the　old　woman；　‘but　there

is　one　thing　I　should　like。　You　must　know　that　I　am　very

particular　about　what　I　eat；　and　if　there　is　one　thing　that　I　fancy

above　all　others；　it　is　a　plump；　tender　little　mouse。　If　there　is

such　a　thing　in　your　garret　just　throw　it　down　to　me；　and　in

return　I　will　promise　that　your　little　daughter　shall　be　well　taken

care　of。'



The　Queen　when　she　heard　this　began　to　cry；　but　made　no

answer；　and　the　old　woman　after　waiting　a　few　minutes　asked　her

what　was　the　matter。



‘Why；'　said　the　Queen；　‘there　is　only　one　mouse　in　this　garret；

and　that　is　such　a　dear；　pretty　little　thing　that　I　cannot　bear　to

think　of　its　being　killed。'



‘What！'　cried　the　old　woman；　in　a　rage。　‘Do　you　care　more

for　a　miserable　mouse　than　for　your　own　baby？　Good…bye；　madam！

I　leave　you　to　enjoy　its　company；　and　for　my　own　part　I　thank　my

stars　that　I　can　get　plenty　of　mice　without　troubling　you　to　give

them　to　me。'



And　she　hobbled　off　grumbling　and　growling。　As　to　the　Queen；

she　was　so　disappointed　that；　in　spite　of　finding　a　better　dinner

than　usual；　and　seeing　the　little　mouse　dancing　in　its　merriest

mood；　she　could　do　nothing　but　cry。　That　night　when　her　baby

was　fast　asleep　she　packed　it　into　the　basket；　and　wrote　on　a　slip

of　paper；　‘This　unhappy　little　girl　is　called　Delicia！'　This　she

pinned　to　its　robe；　and　then　very　sadly　she　was　shutting　the　basket；

when　in　sprang　the　little　mouse　and　sat　on　the　baby's　pillow。



‘Ah！　little　one；'　said　the　Queen；　‘it　cost　me　dear　to　save　your

life。　How　shall　I　know　now　whether　my　Delicia　is　being　taken　care

of　or　no？　Anyone　else　would　have　let　the　greedy　old　woman　have

you；　and　eat　you　up；　but　I　could　not　bear　to　do　it。'　Whereupon

the　Mouse　answered：



‘Believe　me；　madam；　you　will　never　repent　of　your　kindness。'



The　Queen　was　immensely　astonished　when　the　Mouse　began

to　speak；　and　still　more　so　when　she　saw　its　little　sharp　nose　turn

to　a　beautiful　face；　and　its　paws　to　hands　and　feet；　then　it　suddenly

grew　tall；　and　the　Queen　recognised　the　Fairy　who　had　come　with

the　wicked　King　to　visit　her。



The　Fairy　smiled　at　her　astonished　look；　and　said：



‘I　wanted　to　see　if　you　were　faithful　and　capable　of　feeling　a

real　friendship　for　me；　for　you　see　we　fairies　are　rich　in　everything

but　friends；　and　those　are　hard　to　find。'



‘It　is　not　possible　that　YOU　should　want　for　friends；　you　charming

creature；'　said　the　Queen；　kissing　her。



‘Indeed　it　is　so；'　the　Fairy　said。　‘For　those　who　are　only

friendly　with　me　for　their　own　advantage；　I　do　not　count　at　all。

But　when　you　cared　for　the　poor　little　mouse　you　could　not　have

known　there　was　anything　to　be　gained　by　it；　and　to　try　you　further

I　took　the　form　of　the　old　woman　whom　you　talked　to　from　the

window；　and　then　I　was　convinced　that　you　really　loved　me。'　Then；

turning　to　the　little　Princess；　she　kissed　her　rosy　lips　three　times；

saying：



‘Dear　little　one；　I　promise　that　you　shall　be　richer　than　your

father；　and　shall　live　a　hundred　years；　always　pretty　and　happy；

without　fear　of　old　age　and　wrinkles。'



The　Queen；　quite　delighted；　thanked　the　Fairy　gratefully；　and

begged　her　to　take　charge　of　the　little　Delicia　and　bring　her　up　as

her　own　daughter。　This　she　agreed　to　do；　and　then　they　shut　the

basket　and　lowered　it　carefully；　baby　and　all；　to　the　ground　at　the

foot　of　the　tower。　The　Fairy　then　changed　herself　back　into　the

form　of　a　mouse；　and　this　delayed　her　a　few　seconds；　after　which

she　ran　nimbly　down　the　straw　rope；　but　only　to　find　when　she　got

to　the　bottom　that　the　baby　had　disappeared。



In　the　greatest　terror　she　ran　up　again　to　the　Queen；　crying：



‘All　is　lost！　my　enemy　Cancaline　has　stolen　the　Princess　away。

You　must　know　that　she　is　a　cruel　fairy　who　hates　me；　and　as

she　is　older　than　I　am　and　has　more　power；　I　can　do　nothing　against

her。　I　know　no　way　of　rescuing　Delicia　from　her　clutches。'



When　the　Queen　heard　this　terrible　news　she　was　heart…broken；

and　begged　the　Fairy　to　do　all　she　could　to　get　the　poor　little　Princess

back　again。　At　this　moment　in　came　the　gaoler；　and　when　he

missed　the　little　Princess　he　at　once　told　the　King；　who　came　in　a

great　fury　asking　what　the　Queen　had　done　with　her。　She　answered

that　a　fairy；　whose　name　she　did　not　know；　had　come　and　carried

her　off　by　force。　Upon　this　the　King　stamped　upon　the　ground；　and

cried　in　a　terrible　voice：



‘You　shall　be　hung！　I　always　told　you　you　should。'　And　without

another　word　he　dragged　the　unlucky　Queen　out　into　the　nearest

wood；　and　climbed　up　into　a　tree　to　look　for　a　branch　to　which　he

could　hang　her。　But　when　he　was　quite　high　up；　the　Fairy；　who

had　made　herself　invisible　and　followed　them；　gave　him　a　sudden

push；　which　made　him　lose　his　footing　and　fall　to　the　ground　with

a　crash　and　break　four　of　his　teeth；　and　while　he　was　trying　to

mend　them　the　fairy　carried　the　Queen　off　in　her　flying　chariot　to　a

beautiful　castle；　where　she　was　so　kind　to　her　that　but　for　the　loss　of

Delicia　the　Queen　would　have　been　perfectly　happy。　But　though

the　good　little　mouse　did　her　very　utmost；　they　could　not　find　out

where　Cancaline　had　hidden　the　little　Princess。



Thus　fifteen　years　went　by；　and　the　Queen　had　somewhat

recovered　from　her　grief；　when　the　news　reached　her　that　the　son　of

the　wicked　King　wished　to　marry　the　little　maiden　who　kept　the

turkeys；　and　that　she　had　refused　him；　the　wedding…dresses　had　been

made；　nevertheless；　and　the　festivities　were　to　be　so　splendid　that

all　the　people　for　leagues　round　were　flocking　in　to　be　present　at

them。　The　Queen　felt　quite　curious　about　a　little　turkey…maiden

who　did　not　wish　to　be　a　Queen；　so　the　little　mouse　conveyed　herself

to　the　poultry…yard　to　find　out　what　she　was　like。



She　found　the　turkey…maiden　sitting　upon　a　big　stone；　barefooted；

and　miserably　dressed　in　an　old；　coarse　linen　gown　and　cap；　the

ground　at　her　feet　was　all　strewn　with　robes　of　gold　and　silver；

ribbons　and　laces；　diamonds　and　pearls；　over　which　the　turkeys　were

stalking　to　and　fro；　while　the　King's　ugly；　disagreeable　son　stood

opposite　her；　declaring　angrily　that　if　she　would　not　marry　him　she

should　be　killed。



The　Turkey…maiden　answered　proudly：



‘I　never　will　marry　you　I　you　are　too　ugly　and　too　much　like

your　cruel　father。　Leave　me　in　peace　with　my　turkeys；　which　I　like

far　better　than　all　your　fine　gifts。'



The　little　mouse　watched　her　with　the　greatest　admiration；　for

she　was　as　beautiful　as　the　spring；　and　as　soon　as　the　wicked　Prince

was　gone；　she　took　the　form　of　an　old　peasant　woman　and　said　to

her：



‘Good　day；　my　pretty　one！　you　have　a　fine　flock　of　turkeys

there。'



The　young　Turkey…maiden　turned　her　gentle　eyes　upon　the　old

woman；　and　answered：



‘Yet　they　wish　me　to　leave　them　to　become　a　miserable　Queen！

what　is　your　advice　upon　the　matter？'



‘My　child；'　said　the　Fairy；　‘a　crown　is　a　very　pretty　thing；　but

you　know　neither　the　price　nor　the　weight　of　it。'



‘I　know　so　well　that　I　have　refused　to　wear　one；'　said　the　little

maiden；　‘though　I　don't　know　who　was　my　father；　or　who　was　my

mother；　and　I　have　not　a　friend　in　the　world。'



‘You　have　goodness　and　beauty；　which　are　of　more　value　than

ten　kingdoms；'　said　the　wise　Fairy。　‘But　tell　me；